User Guide
Craft an awesome policy solution and submit it to www.nextgenil.org! Good policy is well researched. It leverages existing structures, engages key stakeholders, and leads to sustainable and systematic change. It tries to anticipate the effects (both positive and negative) of its implementation. Now that you have your initial policy ideas, here are some questions to think about that can help make your policy complete. If you have time, talk over some of these questions with your group. This is a chance for you to go above and beyond with your NextGen participation! After this caucus is done, work with your group, your friends or on your own to answer any/all of these questions about your proposed policy solution. Research: 1) What laws currently govern this topic area and what are their effects? 2) Has my policy idea been done before? If yes, where, why, how, when, and with whom? If not, why not? 3) Who will this policy affect? Who can help turn this idea into reality? Who is working on this issue already? Who doesn t want to see this happen? Analyze and synthesize: 1) What does my research tell me about the rules and what do we need to do to fix them to get our desired outcome? 2) What are the pros and cons of my solution? What would opponents of my policy say? 3) What are the impacts of my solution? Will my policy impact everyone equally? Even people of different ages, backgrounds and experiences? Should it? 4) How feasible is my solution? What will make it difficult for the State of Illinois to implement my idea? Craft an action plan: 1) Who needs to get behind this idea to make it happen? 2) How are we going to do this? What steps should Illinois take to get this change underway? 3) When should these changes happen? Share your idea on NextGenIllinois.com Write a paper? Make a video? Write a song? Be creative! Show off your great idea whatever way you think best. Turn your answers to some of these questions into a work of art that tells us about your policy idea and upload and post what you make to the forum on www.nextgenil.org. If other young people like your idea, you may see it featured in the youth-led policy agenda or at the Convention in September!
Caucus Worksheet: 1st Topic Topic (Choose one): Health Care, Education, Environment, Jobs, or Civil Rights Problem area or focus of your small group discussion: Defining the problem dive deeper: Talk with your group about how you feel about the problem and its effects. Feel free to mention info from the video or facts from the topic briefs to help. 1) Explain the problem or focus area. 2) Why is it a problem? 3) What are some of the worst effects of the problem, in your group's opinion? 4) Who is affected the most by this problem? Identifying targets: Where in State Government could we turn to improve these problems? Use your knowledge of state government to discuss which parts of it might be involved in fixing this problem. Not sure? Check out the topic brief to learn a little more about what parts of state government are currently working on this and what they re doing. Can t find info about your problem in the brief? No problem! Make some guesses and mark your questions down for future research. 1) What part(s) of Illinois government could have an impact on this problem? 2) Who/what part of Illinois government should be held accountable for any negative effects? 3) What do we need to know more about to answer this question?
Brainstorming solutions: What are some potential solutions that could help improve these problems? Remember, we re looking for solutions related to public policy. Check out the topic brief to see samples of policy that is currently in place or being suggested. Focus on these policy ideas, or come up with your own. Top 2 ideas: 1) 2) Share your idea on NextGenIllinois.com Write a paper? Make a video? Write a song? Be creative! Show off your great idea whatever way you think best. You can submit your policy idea to NextGen Illinois in whatever format you like best. Here s how your submissions will be used: Your ideas will become part of the statewide conversation young people are having about Illinois. The ideas you come up with today, and others from all over the state will be posted online at www.nextgenillinois.org, a forum you and others can participate in, share, etc. The effort will end with a large convention in September where young people from all across the state will vote on top agenda priorities.
Caucus Worksheet: 2nd Topic Topic (Choose one): Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, Judicial Branch, Fair Elections, or Civic Innovation Problem area or focus of your small group discussion: Defining the problem dive deeper: Talk with your group about how you feel about the problem and its effects. Feel free to mention info from the video or facts from the topic briefs to help. 1) Explain the problem or focus area. 2) Why is it a problem? 3) What are some of the worst effects of the problem, in your group's opinion? 4) Who is affected the most by this problem? Identifying targets: Where in State Government could we turn to improve these problems? Use your knowledge of state government to discuss which parts of it might be involved in fixing this problem. Not sure? Check out the topic brief to learn a little more about what parts of state government are currently working on this and what they re doing. Can t find info about your problem in the brief? No problem! Make some guesses and mark your questions down for future research. 1) What part(s) of Illinois government could have an impact on this problem 2) Who/what part of Illinois government should be held accountable for any negative effects? 3) What do we need to know more about to answer this question?
Brainstorming solutions: What are some potential solutions that could help improve these problems? Remember, we re looking for solutions related to public policy. Consider that the solutions you suggest could target the people and systems of state government listed above. Check out the topic brief to see samples of policy that is currently in place or being suggested. Focus on these policy ideas, or come up with your own. Top 2 ideas: 1) 2) Share your idea on NextGenIllinois.com Write a paper? Make a video? Write a song? Be creative! Show off your great idea whatever way you think best. You can submit your policy idea to NextGen Illinois in whatever format you like best. Here s how your submissions will be used: Your ideas will become part of the statewide conversation young people are having about Illinois. The ideas you come up with today, and others from all over the state will be posted online at www.nextgenillinois.org, a forum you and others can participate in, share, etc. The effort will end with a large convention in September where young people from all across the state will vote on top agenda priorities.